THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 7, 1995 TAG: 9511070012
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 48 lines
This has been the state political campaign of the truly nasty ads and the really big bucks.
With stakes so high, nasty ads will continue as long as they work. They'll be discontinued only when a majority of voters oppose the candidates who use them.
The General Assembly, however, could stop individuals or companies from supporting candidates with huge amounts of money. As we've said before and will repeat ad nauseam, what's required is a law capping individual contributions. Most states already have such a law - to keep money from talking too loudly in elections.
The latest Virginia embarrassment is the $100,000 that a Middle Eastern oil broker contributed to Virginia Democrats via the Democratic National Committee. Roger Tamraz, an Arab-born naturalized citizen, asked the National Committee how he might help President Clinton gain re-election and was told Virginia Democrats could use his money. So Tamraz sent Virginia Democrats $25,000 in his name and $75,000 in the name of his oil company, Tamoil Inc.
Seeking to help Clinton, Tamraz, who says he does no business in the commonwealth and doesn't reside here, made the largest contribution from a single giver to Virginia Democrats this year.
The Washington Post reported Sunday, ``The contributions have raised questions because Tamoil not only is the name of a Tamraz-owned business recently incorporated in the United States, it is also the name of a company he once owned and sold to Libya that is banned from doing business in this country.''
Gov. George Allen said the Democrats' acceptance of the contribution calls into question the integrity of their fund-raising. At this juncture, however, Allen is not the recognized authority on integrity in fund-raising. His political-action committee has accepted $125,000 from a Smithfield meatpacker facing potentially millions in fines for polluting. By comparison, Tamraz seems a disinterested contributor.
Changing Virginia's campaign-finance rules will be difficult, because they favor incumbents. But the public must make clear that current free-spending ways are unacceptable. They erode faith in government and feed cynicism. by CNB